# 1
Thule Hitching Post Pro Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches
Works wonderful! Shipped quickly and prompt.
The good: I like the way the bikes are held in and the ability to add the upright adapters to the bike frame holders. The straps are quality too. For a jeep with a spare tire, this is the perfect length to clear it. This rack is 5 stars from the bike holders to the base of it. The bad: the 2"receiver adapter and bolt are insufficient. I wish they made this in a solid 2" hitch. The entire setup is held into the receiver by a very short bolt. It only goes about half way into the receiver tube. So your hitch is only "secured" on one side. A hitch pin or bolt should go through the receiver tube completely imo so it can be secured on the other end with a retaining clip or nut. Because this only goes in the one side, the entire weight of the rack plus bikes are held tight to one side of the receiver by the undersized bolt and washer. A few bumps down the road and that bolt loosens. Now instead of distibuting the weight of the rack and bikes on the receiver and post, it's completely up to the bolt to keep you from losing the rack. The bolt threads get damaged too. I took this down a dirt road and nearly lost everything. I had to buy my own bolt with hd fender washers and lock washers to correct this. Thule should've provided this from the start. The current short bolt design where only one side of the receiver secures the rack is unacceptable. This rack is 1 star at best for the connection to the receiver.
# 2
Swagman XC2 Bike Rack for 2 bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
This bike rack has exceptional design! It's very stable and easy to use. We would highly recommend this!
Bought this to carry two mountain bikes on the back of my XV Crosstrek. The unit is simple to install, and very sturdy once installed. Had a few small challenges during installation. Some of the nut plates internal to the square tube were not well aligned with the holes, so needed a small rubber mallet and screwdriver to knock the nut plates into alignment so bolts could be threaded in. Also, when first mounting the bicycles, found I had the vertical locking bars incorrectly installed. It is important to put the locking bar with the lock arm on below (install first), and the shorter arm locking arm above for most installations where the two bikes are approximately the same size.
# 3
Swagman XTC2 Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
After ordering I contacted the company to determine when product would be shipped. Staff were friendly and helpful. The rack shipped quick and was easy to install. I would highly recommend etrailer.
Works great! Easy to set up and get on the road.
# 4
Thule Passage 3 Bike Carrier - Trunk Mount
Great value that meets my needs to haul 3 bikes on back of my SUV. I did not want to have a hitch installed solely to mount a bike carrier so this makes sense. Product was delivered and within 15 mins I had it assembled and was driving to the bike shop. All the clips that mount to the rear hatch are coated so no concern over scratching. All but the bottom 2 clips slide in with the hatch shut; the bottom two requiring opening the hatch and shutting to get them in.....a little cumbersome but still just a few seconds to take care of. The bike rack hangs far enough out so the bike closest to the car is still 6" away from bumper. But, when braking, the bike does swing forward and hit the rear bumper. Positioning the pedals to avoid having one aim square at the bumper helped. This may be a common issue on this kind of rack; it was not something I experienced on an older spare tire mounted rack where the bike was snug up to the spare so no swaying. All in all a quality rack that is sturdy when mounted and comes on and off with ease.
2015 Subaru XV CrosstrekAm a casual user of this bike rack and have been very impressed with the ability to fit many styles of vehicle due to its adjustable design. It installs easily and quickly. I have only used it for short local trips but the securing straps' clips seem to do a good job of not damaging the car though they grasp the edges of the trunk/hatch door. The rack seems to better fit bikes with more "open" adult-size frames, because bikes with tight corner angles in the frame or smaller kids' bikes have a hard time fitting over the rubber frame mounting pads. If there was a way to adjust the lateral distance between the frame mounts it would allow these bikes to fit better.
# 5
Swagman Upright Bike Rack for 1 Bike - Roof Rack Crossbars - Frame Mount
Planning on bringing bikes while camping. I mounted 2 of the Swagman bike racks to my new Sportrack on my pop-up camper. The bikes fit perfectly. The racks seem sturdy enough. Not heavy duty, but for my needs they should be fine. Assembly was relatively fast and easy.
We have used the Swagman Roof Rack a number of times when we have needed the additional bike carrying capacity. It took a couple attempts to get the initial spacing of the bike rack properly balanced on the van’s roof rack as recommended by the instructions. But it was easy to do and once set was very easy and quick to put on and take off. The rack works great, the bike is easy to put into place and secure. The bike and rack are very stable and quiet and haven’t required any mid-trip adjustments. We always put the cheapest bike on the roof (lol) but do use a bit of duct tape to protect the finish just Incase. We are very satisfied with the rack and consider it quite a deal for the money.
# 6
Yakima FrontLoader Wheel Mount Bike Carrier - Roof Mount
Received in 2 days. Perfect condition. Reasonably time to attach and learn how to use. Rear mount just slightly loose on factory Subaru Crosstrek Aero bars due to profile. I would recommend the product and etrailer!
Overall I am happy with these bike carriers. They mount to the racks over the bed of my Tundra TRD Pro. Installation is simple. I think they could be just a bit sturdier because there is just a bit of wobbling when driving on bumpy roads but I'm not too worried about them coming dislodged. Take note that although they come with a cable lock to attach the bike to the carrier, the key is sold separately.
# 7
Rhino-Rack MountainTrail Rooftop Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
Love this bike rack! It fits perfectly with my Rhino Rack Cross Bars. I'm very impressed by the lack of wind noise. With the bike mounted on the rack, you can barely hear the wind noise at 60mph. With the sunroof open you can hear wind noise, but as long as the window is closed, you can only slightly hear anything if the radio is off and you are trying to hear it. Amazing! Can't wait to get more use out of it in the future!
I have used a lot of bike racks and this is the one I keep on my 4Runner. It just works. It is the easiest to take on and off, which is important for me because between me, my wife and kids I have 4 bikes that need to be rearranged often. We also use a roof box, kayak racks and a SUP rack so I am always taking things off and on. The front straps loop over the bar and tightens with an allen key, the back is a couple wing nuts. Since there are 2 straps up front the rack is very stable when a bike is on it. I like that it comes with locks and the skewer is super easy to adjust, clamp and unclamp. If it is cold, dark and damp at 6am and I am tired, late for a ride and still waking up this is the rack I go for because it is easy. There are a couple things to be aware of though... You will need to put a drop of oil in the skewer every 6 months or so to keep it opening and closing smoothly. Otherwise is can stick. Sometimes if the skewer is turned just right there will be a bit of whistle because of a hole in the clamping mechanism. If I turn it to a different angle the whistle stops. And after going through the car wash with the rack on my roof a dozen times or so the black paint began to have a bit of a rainbow sheen. Not sure if it is the bike rack or the soap my car wash uses.
# 8
Kuat Beta Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Trailer Hitches - Tilting
Really happy with how quickly it arrived. Very easy to install and get my bike on right away.
I did a lot of research and decided this was the rack for me. I was totally correct. First, it has all the most important features but only weighs about 14 lbs. I was concerned as a senior lady with arthritis issues. I can use it well and it performed perfectly with an adapter bar for my Electra Townie. I have had compliments from several seasoned riders and a bike shop owner here at the beach who said it was great quality and I got a great price. Also purchased a locking trailer hitch pin with bike cable from etrailer. All over satisfaction with products and etrailer who provided enough videos to help me.
# 9
Swagman Chinook Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
First off I got tired of putting my bike in the back end of my 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek! So, birthday present to myself. I bought the Curt 1 1/4" class 1 receiver hitch from Etrailer of course (posted install). Then I ordered the Swagman Chinook platform bike carrier! Best bike rack purchase ever! I did a lot of online comparisons, always been a Thule fan? But hands down the Swagman Chinook was the best bang for the buck @ $$$ and change from Etrailer! It took me @ 15 minutes to put together straight out of the box, and waited til yesterday to put it on my car. As you can see from photos attached it works awsome! Now it's going to be a lot easier to travel to the BMX races!
Truly grooving on my wife's new Swagman Chinook bike rack. She wanted to be able to transport her nice road bike easily without throwing it in the back of her car, and since a roof rack is out of the question, this Swagman model fit the bill perfectly. It arrived quickly on the anticipated date. Kudos to etrailer.com for the email updates to keep me informed of my purchase. Within one hour, it was installed on my wife's 2014 Mazda3 hatchback. The Swagman is heavy and solid, which is reassuring as it makes me feel confident that it will keep the bikes secure. It also makes me feel like I got my money's worth. A ratchet wrench and Phillip's head screwdriver were the only tools required for the easy install. I did my research before purchasing the Chinook model as I was also eyeballing a very similar Thule rack that was slightly more expensive. I spoke with an etrailer.com expert who gave me the lowdown on both models. Ultimately, the Swagman won out because it has a smaller 'footprint' while extended or folded up ... and also can tilt away from the car for easy access to the hatchback area. Very convenient! FYI: Mazda doesn't make a trailer hitch for the Mazda3 as it's a small car with a small engine and has no business towing anything. Thankfully, the Curt company makes an aftermarket frame and trailer hitch that fits the Mazda3 hatchback perfectly with no drilling. Stupidly, I purchased it from another online company thinking I was getting a good deal. Turns out etrailer.com had it for less with FREE shipping. Oh well ... live and learn. Now I know that etrailer.com is one-stop shopping for bike racks AND trailer hitches. (Full disclosure: I had the garage down the street install the frame as it's easier with a lift) Only snafu: the shipment contained an extra set of keys that I assumed was for the hitch bolt lock (there was also a set of keys on the bolt itself). I spent 15 minutes using those keys trying to figure out how to remove the lock from the bolt to install it on the hitch. The keys just wouldn't turn in the lock. I called etrailer.com and Kevin told me to try the other set of keys ... and they worked. So an extra set of keys came with it that did absolutely nothing ... weird! Obviously, I can't speak to the longevity and durability of the Swagman Chinook 2 Bike Platform Rack as I just installed it. What I can speak to is the sturdiness of it, the ease of the installation and my complete satisfaction with the good folks at etrailer.com.
# 10
Saris Bones 2 Bike Rack - Trunk Mount - Adjustable Arms
Product was packaged well, and assembled easily. Great match for the CrossTrek and will enable our son to bike with a friend.
Seemingly well-constructed and supported bike rack. It fits my 2018 Toyota Camry SE just fine and I haven't had any issues with sway or even feeling my bike while driving. I've only carried one bike on it and have used it a limited number of times, so I cannot speak on durability and longevity. Although you shouldn't open your trunk while the rack is attached, I have been able to do so with no issue (without the bike attached).
# 11
Yakima ForkLift Roof Mounted Bike Carrier - Fork Mount
Good product. However, the one I ordered was supposed to fit the aero cross bars on 2018 Subaru roof racks and it doesn't. In fact the fit is very sloppy and looks unsafe. Sending mine back if they can't find a clamp that fullly contacts all surfaces.
Yep - exactly what I ordered. Instructions included are very thorough. The bike carrier arrived with some box damage but was in perfect condition. Includes everything but the locking cylinder for the skewer (for obvious reasons). I appreciate the clear instructions on how to assemble it all together. Haven't put it on my Yakima rack yet but I know it's straightforward. Can't wait to put the carrier into service!
# 12
Rhino-Rack Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Tilting
I love the Rhino-Rack brand and once again am impressed with the quality of this bike rack for my 2" hitch. I love the two handles used to disengage and tilt the top bike holder portion and the other to allow the rack to lower out to open the back hatch. This thing is super sturdy and very well designed. I was somewhat surprised how heavy it is, but I guess this is the trade off for getting solid quality build. Looks awesome on my Crosstrek and soon to be Trek bikes.
I purchased this bike rack a year ago and I use it A LOT. I had to buy and install a stabilizer because without it, the unit would sway back and forth even without a bike on it (very noisy). This makes removal more cumbersome but since I keep the hitch on year round it doesn't matter to me. The tilting function is fabulous allowing easy use of my RAV4 hatchback. I can even tilt it down with a bike on it. I got the 2 bike hitch. Plenty of room for two bikes to fit without rubbing. Lastly, the hitch has a sizable through-hole on the bottom to thread a good sized cable so I can lock my bike up. Sturdy. I highly recommend.
# 13
Swagman XTC4 Bike Rack for 4 Bikes - 2" Hitches - Frame Mount
So far I’ve just assembled it and took a quick test drive around the block. My initial thought is this thing is perfect. It’s super sturdy and easy to use. My only gripe and it’s not fault of the rack, but it’s heavy…
# 14
Swagman Trailhead Bike Rack for 2 Bikes - 1-1/4" and 2" Hitches - Tilting
Sturdy and easy to use. I have a Subaru XV Crosstrek so the tilt feature is convenient to get items from the rear cargo area.
etrailer has the best pre- and post-sales customer service I've ever seen! I started out not knowing anything about hitch-mounted racks. So I wrote to etrailer telling them about my car and type of hitch I was about to have installed. Samuel wrote back with lots of great information tailored specifically to my car. He even included a photo that looked just like my 2017 white VW GTI with a hitch and rack installed. Okay something of a coincidence. But the rest of the assistance I got from the crew at etrailer was just as prophetic. I went into this a novice and came out knowing lots more about hitches and racks and finding the rack best suited to my situation. I have a small car, a class 1 hitch and a heavy mountain bike. I got exactly what I needed. As to the Swagman rack itself, it works fine. If I had a different situation I would probably buy a platform rack as they are easier to load. There's no reason to buy a bike rack anywhere else.
Saris Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek we'll be doing a test fit on the Saris Freedom platform-style 2-bike rack for fat bikes. That's going to be part number SA4412B-FB. We've already got it loaded up on our Subaru just to give you a good idea of what it looks like and how it's going to secure our bikes. It actually secures our bikes in three spots. We have a wheel strap going over our front wheel cradle there attaching into itself. Same thing for the rear.
Saris Freedom Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek we'll be doing a test fit on the Saris Freedom platform-style 2-bike rack. That's part number SA4412B. I've already got it loaded up on the Crosstrek just to give you a good idea of what it looks like and how it's going to secure our bikes. It actually secures our bikes in three spots. We have wheel straps for the front cradle and the back cradle here. We have, for our down tube, a cradle going over that and keeping our bike in place.
Kuat Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek. We'll be doing a test fit on the Kuat Transfer 2-bike rack and 3-bike rack. That's part number TS02G for the 2-bike rack, and part number TS03G for the 3-bike rack. Now the only difference between the 2-bike rack and the 3-bike rack is of course the extra cradles and about 10". Just keep that in mind when making your selection. I've already got it loaded up on the Subaru just to give you a good idea of what it looks like and how it secures our bikes. It actually secures our bikes in two spots.
Kuat Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek TS03B
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek we'll be doing a test fit on the Kuat Transfer 3-bike rack. That's part number TS03G. Now I've already got it loaded up just to give you a good idea of what it looks like and how it's going to hold our bikes. It actually secures our bike in two spots. We have this large wheel hook going over our front wheel in front of our brakes, or our fork, whatever comes first, putting down pressure into our front wheel cradle. Then in the back we just have a wheel strap going over and back into itself, and ratcheting down and keeping that in place. One of the greatest features about this bike rack is it has the ability to tilt away so we can gain better access to our rear hatch.
Kuat Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek TS03B-FB
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek we'll be doing a test fit on the Kuat Transfer 3-bike rack for fat bikes. That's part number TS03G-FB. Now it's also available in a 2-bike rack version for fat bikes; that's part number TS02G-FB. I've already got it loaded up on the XV Crosstrek just to give you a good idea of what it looks like and how it's going to secure our fat bikes. It actually secures our fat bikes in three spots. We have this large wheel hook going over our front wheel, putting down pressure into our wheel cradle here.
RockyMounts Roof Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Cross Trek, we're doing a test fit of the Rocky Mounts Bass Knuckles Roof Mounted Bike Rack. That part number is RKY1202. We already have our bike on our vehicle, we're first going to show you how we strap it down. We'll start here at the front. We've got a Razor ratcheting strap that you're going to see on most of your roof mounted bike racks. We've got the same thing in the back here.
Rhino Rack Road Warrior Roof Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek, we're doing a test fit of the Rhino Rack Road Warrior Roof Mounted Bike Rack, that part number is RBC036. Now, we already have our bike on the rack. We're first going to show you how we strap that down. Back here at the back tire, we have a regular ratcheting strap that you're going to see on most of your roof mounted bike racks. To release that, we're just going to push down and lift the strap up. Then at the front, we have our skewer.
Rhino Rack MountainTrail Roof Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek we're doing a test fit of the Rhino-Rack MountainTrail roof top bike rack. That part number is RBC035. We already have our bike on the rack. We're first going to go over how it is strapped down. Here in the back we have a regular ratcheting strap that you're going to see on most of your bike racks. You're going to push down on the black lever and lift up.
Swagman Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek we've got the Swagman XC2 out. We're going to test fit it and see how it fits on the back of the vehicle here. Now this is a 2-bike platform-style rack. It's been designed so you can use it with 1-1/4" or with 2" hitches. Part number on it is S64650. Now this is going to use three points of contact to hold our bike in place, our three areas. We've got our front wheel cradle and our rear wheel cradle.
Thule Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek we're test fitting the Thule Vertex Swing. This is a hanging-style 4-bike rack designed to swing away from your vehicle even when you have your bikes loaded up. Part number on it is TH9031XT. Now one of the new things about the 9031XT is going to be an integrated cable lock. Fits right down in the mast. It's going to come back over our bikes and secures into the back of the arm here using one of the Thule One Key style tumblers.
SportRack Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek, we've got the Sportrack ridge swing that we're going to test fit for you. This is a swing-away 4 bike rack. It's been designed for use in two-inch hitches. Part number is SR2415. Now, first things first, the swing-away feature is very easy to operate. We've got the black lever here, sorry, not a black lever but a black T-handle bolt. You're going to un-thread that. And lift up on our black T-handle and let that come open just slightly. We'll then we lift the T-handle pin under the first fold there and move it to our second, then begin to swing it on out.
Thule Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek TH9029XT
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek, we're test fitting the Thule Vertex. This is the fold-away, tilting 4-bike rack. It's been designed for with 1 1/4 or with 2 inch hitches. Part number on it is TH9029XT. There is a neat integrated cable lock here coming right out of the mast, hooks into the back of one of dual cradle arms. Uses the Thule one-key lock system so you can switch that out if you want to for a tumbler you already have or you can start to match that. We've got three cradles that are going to hold our bike in position on this rack.
Saris Freedom Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek SA4414B
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek we're doing a test fit on the Saris Freedom. This is a platform-style 4-bike rack. It's been designed for use in 2" hitches. Part number on it is SA4414B. Really neat thing about the Freedom to start off with is that if we pull the clip and pin located right down here at the bottom and then push the gray handle here on the back, that rack is going to tilt right out and away from our vehicle even if we had the four bikes loaded. It goes down further than a lot of the ones that we have and it allows really good access.
Swagman Hitch Bike Racks Review - 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek S64684
Today on our 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek we're test fitting the Swagman Dispatch. This is an RV-approved platform-style 2-bike rack. It's been designed for use in 2" hitches. Part number on it is S64684. Now the Dispatch does a great job of holding our bike in place. It's really very, very solid and also a very quiet rack to have behind your vehicle.
What our customers are saying:
"The hitch and bike rack for my Kia Sportage arrived in three days! This is my second Hidden Hitch and like the first, this fit perfectly and was installed in under 20 minutes. Great products and service! I'll recommend them to my friends. Thanks"